Rail-clamp.



M. LBOWEN. HAILCLAMFK ATPUCA HQN FILED MAY15. [91?- 1,253,133. I Patented Jan, 8, 1918.

SHEETS SHEBT lv INVENTOR WITNESSES i ;;04i/

ATTORNEY jyi'de'a clamp which may afguardi rail upon either a temporary or a vention;

' through MELVIRLBOWEN, or HARLAN, xnn'rocmr;

BAIL-CLAMP.

Specification of Letters intent.

'Iatnted Jan.8,1918.

Application filed May 15, 1917. Serial No. resins.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MELVIN I. BOWEN, a-

-citizen of the United States, residing at Harlan, in the county of Harlan, and State of Kentucky, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rail-Clamps, of which the following is a specification;

Thisinvontion relates to rail clamps and aims to provide means for clamping sections of track together for the temporary .exteir sion thereof.

The object of the present invention is to provide means whereby sect-ions of track may be securely clamped together to form joints for temporary track extensions, without the necessity of drilling holes inxthe rail ends and fishingplates, the invention being susceptible of repeated use, sothat its cost is reduced-to the minimmm.

Another object of the invention is to i310" be utilized to hold permanent track, the invention being eapa ble of use wltheither the ordinary Wooden tiepr with'ties constructed of metal or other hiateriall Another 01)]80l3 is to provlde a 30111t 01 .h1 which is of simple and cheap construction,

"the nature of the joint rendering it possible to ntilizeanold section of railas the con necting bar, the whole being simple and quickly adjusted to connect the rail ends and when nected for further use. i

"With these and other objects in view, the inventionfconsists of the followingnovel combination and arrangement of parts, here- "inafter more fnlly described, illustrated in the accompanylng drawings and pointed out in the "appended claims.

In. the drawings: Figure 1- is'aperspective View of a temporary rail joint embodying the present in- 2" is a transverse. sectional View the rail with theoint in position; detailed perspective new of Fig.

Fig. 3 is a 1. the.adjustab1e clamping jaw;

Fig. 4 is a; transverse sectional View illustrating the use of the invention with a metal tie: and

Fig. 5 is a similar View of fication of the invention.

Referring in detail to a further modithe' drawings, the

improved rail joint isshown ssconncctmg cured transversely of the rails suitable connecting the meeting ends of the rail sections one of said sections representing the end ofa permanent track and the other section representing-the end of a temporary track.- Se- R, are clamping bars 10, there" being preferably-provided one'of these-'bars'for eachrail section. The,

bars 10 extend beneath the basefiange of the I rails and are-provided with extensions 11, the "faces 12 of Which-are adalpted to fitthe fishing spaces of the rails. he extensions- 11 are "further provided with lower inclined faces 'lwhich restnpon thenpper inclined portiorrbt' the railfianges and bythis means the bar 10 isv connected to the rails. The

clamping bar-s extend forsome distance bef of. the rails to provide stip-v portin'g means for .ihe adjustable clamping j'aiwy. 14, which is: provided with an opening 15* to receive the bar" 10 and proyidesforthe adjustment of the jawnlpon the bar. Any means may be interposed yond the sides between the inner faces 16 0f the jaws 14' desired may be quickly discon and therails R, "but it is preferred toutilize a short" section 17 or a rail, as thesesections are usually aNailable in laying temporary y tracks. The rail section as shown prov des a straightsurface 19 for engagementwith the inner face 16 of the adjustable clamping jaw. In addition to "providing QVCOm QX face 18 for contact with space ben faith the heads of theirs-il-,cnfls prevent 'vertical In order "their-flanges so as to displacementof the said ends; to quickly adjust the WQ bOf the 'rtril, the head of the section 17 lies withinthe' .fishinfi.

and secure the section 17 in position, the clamping bar is provided with. a; transverse slot 20, Whichis adapted to receive ajwedge 21, which, when driven Within "the slot will .force therail section ,17 tightly 'agalns't the rail ends R undisccnrely' hold them against lateral movement. may. he secured to means of a chain122. so

the clamping bar by he at hand for conventhat it will always ientnse. I As shown *in Fig. 4 oflthe dratvings the invention is susceptible of pee in connect on ,with a metaltie' and in jaddltionto providing 1 means for connecting the'adjaicent ends of the rail sections together for track ex'ten sicn' purposes, the illYeIltlOl'l is also susceptible of use as a. guard rail in connection with either a temporary -'or a permanent track, the connecting rail section being so positioned asto receive the flange of the rail, after the manner of the usual guard rail.

In the construction shown in F i 4, 23 represents a fragmentary section 0 a suitable form of metal tie construction, for example, the Carnegie or the Slick steel tie. Thls tie has secured thereto as shown at 25 a clamp 26, which is adapted to engage over. the base flange of the fiil R for the purpose of preventing movement of the rail in that direction. The rail section 27 which is utilized for the purpose of connectin thead jacent rail ends or for providing t 10 guard rail, is positioned after the manner of the sections shown in Figs. 1 and 2, that is with the head thereof located within the fishing spaces of the adjacent rail ends and in contact with the web thereof. The base flange of the section 27 has positioned thereagainst a clamping member 28, which consists of a substantially vertical member 29, and a horizontal member 30, the said horizontal member being pivoted or otherwise secured to the tie 23 as shown at 31. The extremity of the member 30 is formed into an engaging hook 32, which is adapted to engage a groove or depression 33 formed in the top face of the tie. The clamping block 34: is positioned beneath the rail section 27 and has its upper face engaged with the lower or under fishing space of the rail section 27 to providea support therefor. The block 34 is formed with a recess 35, which is adapted to receive the fiangeof the rail section R to aid in securing the said rail section in position. It will be seen that from the foregoing the block 34 provides an effectual support for the connecting rail section 27, so as to securely hold the same in position to enablc the head thereof to be wedged beneath the head of the rail section R and in addition'to performing this function serves as a clamp for the said rail section R.

. In the modification shown in Fig. 5, the. hook 32 and depression 33 are dispensed with, the clamping member 36 being held to the tie by means of a pin 37, which is upset or riveted beneath the tie as shown. In this form, the block 38 is secured to the tie in the same manner as the clamping member 36, as shown at 39, the said blockbeing further extended upon the base flange of the rail R asshown at 40 so as to extend partially beneath the head of the connecting rail 27.

It is thought that from the foregoing de- 1. 'A rail clamp comprisin transversely arranged clamping bars detac iably engaged with the rail ends, vertically arranged clamping jaws adj ustably mounted uponsaidbars,a rail section interposed between the inner faces of the clamps and the web of the rails, said section bridging the point between said. rail ends and wedges adapted to be inserted within slots formed in the clamping bars and engageable with the clamping jaws.

2. A rail clanfp comprising a rail section adapted to have its head positioned within the fishing spaces of adjacent rail ends and its tread portion engaging the webs thereof, means for holding said adja cent rail ends against movement. in a direction away from said rail section and means engageable with the base flange of the rail sections for holding the same against movement.

A rail clamp comprising a rail section adapted to have its head positioned within the fishing spaces of adjacent rail ends and its tread portion engaging the webs thereof, means for holding said adjacent rail ends against movement in a direc tion away from said rail section and atljustable means engagcable with the base flange of the rail section for holding the same against movement.

4.. A rail clamp comprising a transversely arranged member detachably engaged with the rails. a vertically arranged clamping element carried thereby, a rail connecting member interposed between the inner face of the clamping element and the webs of the rails and a supporting, block interposed between the transversely arranged member and the rail connecting member.

- 5. A rail clamp comprising a transversely arranged member detachably engaged with the rail, a vertically arranged clamping element carried thereby, a rail connecting membe'r interposed between theinner face of the clamping element and the webs of the rails and a supporting block interposed between the transversely arranged member and the rail connecting member and engagedwith the'fianges of the rails.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

. MELVIN I. BOVE 

